Parents in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff wondering when their kids' school bus is going to arrive can now turn to their smartphones.

In late January, Lake Forest districts 67 and 115 -- along with Lake Bluff District 65 and Deerfield District 109 – have begun using an app called SafeStop to track their buses, said Allen Albus, deputy superintendent of finance and operations for districts 67 and 115.

Parents can sign up online for free using their children's student ID numbers and then download the app on their smartphones, tablets or computers, officials said. Once they have the app, parents then will be able to track the bus route their child uses.

"We're at the time of year where you have inclement weather," Albus said. "Or a car accident can disrupt a bus. Parents don't know if they missed the bus, if it's running early or broken down. Seeing where it is on a really cold day, that's a benefit."

"The No. 1 reason parents call me is to ask about bus time or whether the bus was early or late," said Jay Kahn, director of finance and operations for Lake Bluff District 65. "This [app] is a good way for us to communicate."

He said the features should be helpful to both parents and school officials.

"After it's run three or four weeks, it will learn where the bus should be at a certain time," Albus said. "If the bus deviates, it sends an alert to the [bus] company, who then send a message to parents."

The four districts negotiated with SafeStop as a consortium, Albus said. In districts 67 and 115, the districts will absorb the cost, he said.

District 67 paid an initial set-up fee of $989 and will pay up to $379, a month depending on how many parents sign up, Albus said.

He said District 115, which has fewer buses, paid an initial set-up fee of $521 and will pay up to $169 per month depending on how many parents sign up.

"For a fairly minimal cost, we can make this available," Albus said.

District 65 is committed to paying for SafeStop through the end of this school year, Kahn said

"We're not sure if the cost will revert to the parents or the district will continue to pay for it," Kahn said. "That's something we still need to determine as the board looks at its budget for next year."

Kahn declined to disclose the cost but said it's "not significant compared to the size of our transportation budget."

Close to 1,000 families have signed up in the four districts so far, Patrick Gallagher, director of sales at SafeStop, said on Feb. 8.

SafeStop started in 2013 and is based in Daniel Island, South Carolina, Gallagher said.

"I lived in Chicago for six years'" Gallagher said. "They have CTA bus trackers and CTA train trackers. With school buses, there can be a bit more variation [in schedules]."